Comments on: Brent Rathgeber on knowing his role and the PBOhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/
Canada's national weekly current affairs magazineSun, 02 Aug 2015 19:37:58 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.2By: Rick Omenhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064071
Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:41:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064071I don’t think the PBO is a bad idea, and I don’t think the government thinks the PBO is a bad idea. It’s just the current occupant of the office doesn’t understand his roll.

Again, his job is to analyse financial estimates and their accuracy. Not what he feels might be the results of those estimates or policy.

]]>By: KeithBramhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064069
Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:24:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064069He researches for whichever party requests it. That the CPC choose not to use him is their problem.

They created the office because they thought while in opposition that it would be a good idea (and they were right). Now that they are in government and have decided that the whole “open and accountable” thing they preached so long and hard about (and which made me think they might be on to something, despite many of their other policies) should really have been “secretive and inscrutable” they see the PBO as a mistake.

And as always, Rick Omen is there to trumpet the CPC line.

]]>By: Rick Omenhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064067
Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:11:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064067His job is to analyse the governments financial estimates. That’s his mandate (http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/02/01/what-the-pbos-mandate-actually-says/). He is not the oppositions research office. Do you also think he should be collecting DNA samples at Patrick Brazeau’s house?
]]>By: KeithBramhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064065
Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:27:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064065If he was asked by a MP to look into it, it would be perfectly within his mandate. How well is the government tracking to its stated plan (no service cuts) is indeed a valid question.
]]>By: Rick Omenhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064063
Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:23:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064063And it’s Kevin Page’s job to find out weather these accusations are true or not? Even if what you say is true, it’s a perfect example of him “working” outside of his mandate.
]]>By: KeithBramhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064061
Fri, 08 Feb 2013 02:15:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064061The government promised the cuts would not impact front-line service. If the cuts were then made to the front line rather than the back office, then either the government lied or the bureaucrats failed to implement as planned. This should be valuable information to everyone (except, perhaps the CPC if they in fact deliberately lied).
]]>By: Rick Omenhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064059
Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:54:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064059When Page starts making estimating service cuts after spending cuts, I’d say he’s giving policy advice. He’s made it very clear he doesn’t like spending cuts anywhere.
]]>By: neuroticdoghttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064057
Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:43:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064057Oh no! Time for another exorcism.
]]>By: Hester Eastmanhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064055
Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:28:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064055Yes, she has. I am trapped – help!
]]>By: neuroticdoghttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064053
Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:49:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064053Have you taken over TonyAdam’s soul?
]]>By: Hester Eastmanhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/brent-rathgeber-on-knowing-his-role-and-the-pbo/#comment-1064051
Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:53:00 +0000http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=347770#comment-1064051“…. , it’s an understanding that is regularly tramped by the sorts of displays I’ve recently highlighted.”

David Hume ~ It is, therefore, a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave: Though at the same time, it appears somewhat strange, that a maxim should be true in politics, which is false in fact. But to satisfy us on this head, we may consider, that men are generally more honest in their private than in their public capacity, and will go greater lengths to serve a party, than when their own private interest is alone concerned. Honour is a great check upon mankind: But where a considerable body of men act together, this check is, in a great measure, removed; since a man is sure to be approved of by his own party, for what promotes the common interest; and he soon learns to despise the clamours of adversaries.